SIMPLICITY: Meg Hamilton

October 07, 2014

I live in a little, bitty town called Landaff {pop. 425} in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I am the professional wedding and lifestyle photographer behind Rodeo & Co. Photography. My husband, Nate & I have two sweet boys. Marcus is 6 & Hank is 3…they both attend the one room school house in our town, The Blue School. We also have a dog, a kitty, 2 bunnies, a horse, and hive full of bees. {My horse and the bunnies reside down the road at my parent’s farm}.

How do you take care of yourself so that you’re physically and mentally prepared to be your best self for others?

I’ve learned that by waking early, I can put my best self forward for my family and my business. I can tackle so much before the boys even wake up! This means, going to bed early…and not working at my computer screen into the wee hours of the night: the screen time really negatively affects my sleep. My nighttime routine keeps me balanced & centered. I read to Hank, then I read to Marcus, then I visit with my husband, write in my gratitude journal, jot down reminders for the next day, and read something for myself.

In your house, how do the mundane parts of life get done?

Laundry is my least favorite thing to do. My husband does the ironing when it’s needed {thanks in part to his being a State Trooper he is well trained for this!}. In our laundry room we have baskets for each of us & the towels…..So as soon as laundry comes out of the dryer it goes directly into that person’s basket. When a basket is full, I take it upstairs and put the clothes away. It makes saves a ton of time & makes it almost tolerable. {In the summer, I’ll even bring the clothes off the line, and sort into the baskets too}.

What is one tradition or routine that’s really important to you? And why?

This year, we are all very involved in taking care of our new beehive. It’s exciting to watch the bees in and out of the hive & to study their movements as a family. Marcus has the task of turning off and on the solar charged fence each morning and night {to keep the bears away!} and Hank loves watching me in the hive & begging to sample the honey. My husband and I dreamed of having honey bees since we were dating & it’s so fulfilling to see that we are finally making it a reality, teaching the boys about nature & helping the environment too. Hopefully, we will have some honey to harvest later this Fall!

3. My Standup Freezer & EL Menu Plan Notepad: We stock up on local meat and veggies & my freezer is stocked with lots of yummy goodness. Cooking dinner is my sacred time….nothing makes me happier than cooking a delicious & healthy meal for my family, unless I’m not prepared and scattered. Having it written out ahead of time, then I know what to defrost, what to pick up, and what to use up before it goes to waste!

4. Mile IQ: This little app tracks all my business mileage for me in one swipe!

5. Encyclopedia Brown Series: Marcus {age 6} and I have been reading a chapter or 2 each night. His Dad is a Major Crime Detective & he gets a kick out these. I love the simpleness and timelessness of the stories.

6. Pentel Arts Color Pens: Each person, and job has a different color associated with them in my planner….it keeps it pretty AND functional.

Anything else you think our readers would love to know? Any additional tips or systems that help you keep it all together?

I have also learned to have strict office hours & family hours and do my very best not to blend the two. When I’m a mommy, I’m a mommy {and an auntie too, once a week I watch my sweet little niece, Thora {she just turned 1}. When I’m a photographer, I’m a photographer: I stay on task, I block FB, and I get it done. I do this, so that when I’m in family-mode I am fully present and connected to my family, because at the end of the day, that is what matters most. It’s been a struggle to completely separate the two {sometimes, I even unplug the wi-fi} but I’ve found through trial and error that this is what works best for me.

The Simplicity Series features busy gals, in different stages of life, making what matters happen and tips and tricks they’ve found to be helpful. Simplicity is about building margin into your life and spending time on and with that which fuels your heart. While we love to share products and services that help us day to day, but simplicity is about HEART and intentionally choosing the thing that matters most (your TREASURE) more than anything money can buy. We wear many hats and we know you do too, so we’d love to hear your thoughts as well! For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

We want to know how you intentionally create joy in your life as well as the ways you make your busy life simpler. Submit your story here.